Things You Said
by avintagekiss24
Summary: A collection of drabbles based on words. Words passed between lovers, between friends, between family. This is dedicated to the words that pass during the bad times, the dark times, the happy times, the random times. Words are often taken for granted. Sometimes, you have to make them matter.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, this was just supposed to be a one shot. I saw a list of prompts on Tumblr and I was trying to get some inspiration and then... here's a series, lol. I'll probably keep updating this randomly, just as** **it comes.** **Here's the first four parts, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading :)!**

* * *

 _ **Things you didn't say at all.**_

 _Rick's hands are shaky. His hair is dripping with sweat. He wipes at his face, clearing the blood and dirt from his eyes. He stares at the wall ahead of him, his eyes wide and crazy. He hums a little as he breathes in and out, feeling a slight vibration in his chest. Another fractured rib, he supposes. But he refuses to leave her side. Maggie is still pacing outside the door, her voice raising as she tries and fails to keep Carl in line._

" _Carl, calm down!"_

" _You don't fucking get it Maggie!" Carl screams, tears streaming down his delicate face._

" _Don't talk to me like that Carl, I swear to God!"_

" _That's two!" He raises his fingers to emphasize his point as Enid lowers her head, her face breaking as the emotion comes, "That's two fucking mothers that I've lost!" He sobs._

" _Shut up!" Maggie screams, desperation dripping through her words, "Just shup up! She'll be fine! Do you hear me? She'll make it! She's, she's strong. She'll make it."_

 _Rick drops his head as their words float through the thin walls. He blinks toward her, humming again as pain rips through his body. She's here because of him. A bargaining chip, Negan announced as he dragged her away from Alexandria. Rick did everything he could, bowed down deeper and harder than before, to try and keep her safe. But to no avail. Negan felt as though Rick still didn't get it._

" _Fucking hell Rick! I didn't want to have to do this, I really didn't." Negan boomed, smiling all the while, "But, you've left me no choice. The quickest way to a man's heart, is through his pussy."_

 _Now he's covered in her blood as she lays motionless on the bed in front of him. There's a soft beep from some sort of machine that the doctor has her hooked up to, but that's about it. He always thought they had time, you know? Yeah, sure, they were living in the middle of an apocalypse but finding her was nothing short of a miracle. She gave him hope. So, his mind began to wander, creating days and months and years of them together in his psyche. Always just thinking she'd be there._

 _He never told her he loves her. Although he is consumed with emotion and feelings for her. He never told her how she makes him feel. How happy she's made him in such a short time; the happiest he's been in only God knows how long. He never told her that he needs her like the sun, like water, like food. He never told her he loved her because he thought he had time._

 _And now he may never have the chance. So, he sits quietly, internally kicking himself as he runs his lips over the backs of her fingers, willing her to wake up. He can't even speak up now, not even in this moment, not even as she fights for her life. He can't even tell her all he wants to say. It took Lori's death to finally get him to admit how he truly felt. How he loved her. How he wanted to put it back together. Here he is again. Losing yet another member of his family and he can't even spit it out._

 _He hangs his head low, lower than ever before, letting the tears drip onto the bed below him. He shakes his head slowly, still rubbing his lips along the backs of her warm fingers. He wants to say it, to tell her everything, but he can only find three words._

" _Please don't die."_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Things you said at 1am.**_

 _Carl tip toes into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him. He eyes his dad, slumped over the edge of her bed, his head resting on her lap. Carl walks up beside his father, taking note of his fingers intertwined with hers tightly. Carl wants to be angry with him. He wants to scream at him and tell him how much of a fuck up he is. He wants to ask him why every time things get good, he has to figure out a way to ruin them. But that isn't fair this time. He tried. Carl knows that he actually tried this time. So instead of waking up his battle worn father, he runs his hand over his damp hair softly; lovingly. Like his father has done to him so many times in the past._

 _Carl takes a seat next to him and turns his attention to the closest thing he's had to a mother in over a year. Her face is puffy and bruised, no doubt from pointless beatings at the hands of Negan's heathens. But he knew she fought tooth and nail. Refusing to stay down; getting back up each and every time they knocked her off her feet. She wouldn't have it any other way. His father lost his mind at her appearance when they dragged her from the van after taking her nearly a week before._

" _You fucking prick!" Rick screamed loudly when his eyes landed on her, struggling against the hold that Arat and Bob had on him, "Goddamnit! I did everything you fucking wanted! Everything! You fucking-"_

 _Carl glances down at his plaid shirt, her now dried blood staining the material. Enid begged him to take it off, to change, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. It would serve as a reminder to him now and always as to why that mother fucker has to die. Daryl, Rick, Gabriel, Carl, and Rosita watched in horror as Negan stabbed her with the same hunting knife he used on Spencer. She crumpled to the ground and within an instant, the war was ignited. Bullets whizzing through the air, fists flying, knives slicing._

 _Carl reaches out and places his hands on her forearm, a little surprised at her warmth. That's a good sign at least. He strokes her skin gently, smiling softly for really no reason at all, which surprises him more, "I never thought this situation would be reversed. It's usually you huddled over my bedside." He says quietly, "I know I've never told you this, well, I kinda have, in my own dumb way." He pauses, glancing to his left as his dad shifts but doesn't wake. His breaths deep and rhythmed. He turns back toward her, his mind racing with the words he wants to say. Carl was always like his mother, never finding a time where he was lost for words. Now is no different, "That night, on the porch, after Deanna. When I told you that I would do it for you. What I meant to say was that I love you. My sister loves you."_

 _He drops his head a little, his voice growing softer and softer by the minute, "My dad loves you. I don't know if he's said it, probably hasn't, but I know he does. He's not a talker, he won't say it out loud but I hope you can feel it. I hope you know it. I'll, I'll talk to him. I'll tell him that sometimes people just need to hear it, for no reason. I'll make sure that you hear it. From him, from me, from Daryl, from everyone. Because we love you Michonne. We love you and we need you."_

 _He nods a little, growing more and more confident as he speaks, knowing that his words will come true, "Daryl and Jesus are working on a plan right now. And when you're strong and you can fight, we'll take that piece of shit down. Together. We'll hang his head on the gates of Alexandria as a sign to any future fucks that wanna mess with us. We don't die easy. But they will."_

 _His hair falls in his face as he looks up and gazes out of the small window. His hand grazes down her arm and rests on top of his fathers. He laces his fingers as best he can with theirs just as the clock strikes one am._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Things you said after you kissed me.**_

 _Daryl drops his eyes to his feet as Carl speaks to her quietly, offering up his teenage soul freely and eloquently. Anger swells in Daryl's chest. That boy has been through enough; too goddamn much. He turns on his heel just as Carl stops talking and make his way through the trailer, bursting through the door and out into the night. He fingers ball into fists at his sides as he spits, his breath coming harder and faster. He raises his head to the dark sky, the moonlight splashing over his face as he closes his eyes. When will this end? When will it be their turn?_

" _Daryl?"_

 _Jesus' voice is soft as he approaches. Daryl drops his head, finally opening his dark eyes as he flexes his fingers out in front of him. They're still stained with her blood. His shirt, his jeans, his shoes, all covered with her life force. Still. His mind flashes back to that afternoon, his own blood running cold as she gasped loudly when the knife penetrated her stomach. Everything after that was a blur. Rick screaming, bullets flying, Carl running to her and throwing his body over hers to protect her from any further damage. Daryl sprayed bullets in every direction he could as Negan and Simon ran to hide behind their vehicles. Rosita tackled Arat and slammed her into the ground, unleashing her furious fists upon the pretty girl's face. Payback for the slice on her cheek from weeks before. In all the mayhem, Daryl made eye contact with Rick for just the quickest of seconds. Those familiar blues full of fear and anguish, "Daryl."_

 _And he knew. Not another word was spoken between them. Daryl just knew. He ran to his brothers' son and love, resting his hand quickly on Carl's shoulder to soothe him. Daryl lifted her carefully and Carl covered his back, firing shots at Simon and Negan as Daryl rushed back to their black Charger. He blinks slowly and the foul memories are gone. He's back in the present, underneath the moon and the stars._

" _Daryl, are you alright?"_

 _The archer grunts in response, just wanting to be left the fuck alone. He continues to watch his blood-stained fingers, pushing back the anger that is rapidly turning into fear. Fear for his family's wellbeing. Fear for Rick losing yet another love. Fear for Carl and Judith losing yet another mother. Fear of losing her. That laugh. Her little digs and playful barbs at him. That smile._

 _At first, she was just a weird chick with a sword that tried to kill his brother. Then, she became his partner. The two of them going out in that same black Charger on runs at the prison. At first, neither one of them spoke a word. They'd park and go their separate ways, meeting up a few hours later to start the silent trek home. But then, she cracked a joke. And then another, and another, and before he knew it, she was his friend. She would listen intently to him as they walked slowly. Together. Sometimes, just sometimes, he was in the mood to talk back then. And she always listened. He began to try to convince her to stay instead of going out to find Phillip. Because by then, she was his sister. He didn't want her to get hurt. He didn't want to have to hear Rick tell Carl why she hadn't come back._

" _Daryl,"_

" _What?" He snaps angrily, turning his head just enough to see Jesus in his peripheral vision._

 _Jesus takes a breath, not wanting to make things more tense, "I just wanted to check on you, that's all."_

" _I'm fine." Daryl answers gruffly, turning his head back toward the gate. Jesus treads toward him, stepping around Daryl's frigid form to stand in front of him, "I said I'm fine."_

 _Jesus nods slowly, dropping his head a little before glancing around the quiet community. He knows now isn't the time. It's just not the right time but he lifts his hand anyway and runs it down the side of Daryl's face, his dark, stringy hair surprisingly soft against the pads of his fingers. Daryl's mouth drops open slightly, breathing. Just breathing. His eyes follow Jesus as he moves closer but he himself can't move at all. Jesus plants a kiss, a small one, but a confident one, just on the corner of Daryl's mouth. Then another, firmly, squarely on his lips. He backs away and Daryl's usually squinty eyes are wide as he stares back at the slightly shorter man. They bounce back and forth between Jesus', not sure of what to say or do. Or feel._

" _You don't have to hurt alone." Jesus whispers, "They love you Daryl. I," He stops short, knowing that now is just not the time, "You don't have to do it alone. We're here. Go back in there. She needs you."_

 _Without another word, Jesus walks off, leaving a stunned Daryl alone underneath the moon and the stars. He knows deep down that Jesus is right. He turns slowly, casting his eyes back toward the medical trailer. He takes a step, and then another, until he's surrounded by his sleeping family once more. He sinks to the floor just outside her door, resting his head on the wall behind him as Jesus' words wash over him._

 _You don't have to hurt alone. They love you. She needs you._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Things you said that made me feel real.**_

 _It's been days maybe. Weeks, possibly. She doesn't even really know. No change. No eye flutters. No finger squeezes. No voluntary movement. Her head is foggy. Going in and out of consciousness and delusion. It's like she's stuck in a hellish purgatory. Her mind is aware, sometimes. She hears them, sometimes; feels them when they touch her. But only sometimes. At least her dreams are pleasant. Full of Rick and Carl and Judith and Andre. Their children are running free in front of them through the grass, full of white and yellow dandelions. She and Rick hold hands, her white flowy dress dragging behind her. Hearing her kids laugh makes her laugh, which in turn makes him laugh. They watch as Carl hoists her Andre into the air, his tiny voice filling the otherwise quiet day with shrieks and giggles. Judith's blonde hair sails behind her as she runs from her brothers._

 _She almost wishes she could stay in her dreams. Forever. But she knows she can't. She's a fighter, her whole life she's had to fight, she can't stop now. As tempting as it is. Her body is tired. It's worn, it's battered, it's bruised and broken. Her usually sharp mind is softening; being stagnant for this long would takes its toll on anyone. But her heart, oh man, that lion heart of hers just won't quit. The heart of a true warrior, of a champion, is hard to come by._

 _Her family comes and goes. She hears them shuffling in at all hours of the day and night, pulling up chairs and laying out their deepest, darkest secrets at her feet. They all speak to her, except Rick. Even Daryl grumbles a bit at her, promising that he'll take care of everyone until she's up on her feet. He even promises to fix the fan in the living room that she's been complaining about for months. Rick though, her sweet blue eyed boy, never says a word. She knows it's him just by the sound of his boots. By the feel of his calloused fingers on her delicate skin. He comes in day after day and gives her a sponge bath, spritzing her with a small bottle of perfume he found for her months prior. He applies her homemade body butter to every inch of her dry skin. He's even rolled her dreads between his palms, moisturizing it with Sasha's hair cream._

 _When she's cognizant enough in her mind to know he's there, she wonders why he doesn't speak. She knows he's not a man of many words. He's a doer, not a talker, but usually in moments like these, even the gruffest of the gruff break down. When no one is around, when no one can hear, they can finally be free to speak their fears. But not this cowboy. It doesn't really bother her though because she knows. She feels it in her heart. He's a man that's been mistreated and he just doesn't know how to explain himself. But she knows._

 _Tonight, is different. She's been in and out all day, falling back into her dreams and then being ripped into the present by Maggie and Rosita just an hour before. Carl had stopped by earlier in the morning with the grumpy Judith. She only remembers a few minutes though, before she was consumed by the dark fog of her purgatory once more. She hears the door open, his boots against the floor, the chair sliding up to her bedside. He lifts her hand and kisses each of her fingers before wiping at her forehead a bit, letting his fingers linger against her skin. He takes a deep breath, grabbing her much smaller hand in both of his. She can feel his hair dangling against her arm and she longs to run her hands through that mess of curls. Just one more time. She's comforted by his presence and his touch but she can feel the fog rolling back in, wanting to drag her back into her perpetual hell._

" _Harlan says you can hear me," He starts quietly, "Sorry I haven't," he trails off, letting his words drift away. She starts to fight again, not wanting to miss his words. This is first time he's spoken to me since this happened. Stay with him. Please. "I miss you so much Chonne." He drops his head and sniffles, letting out a sob as his tears drip down on her arm, "Please come back to me. My kids need a mom. I need," he trails off again, his voice softer than she's ever heard before, "This life isn't worth living if you don't have somebody to love, if you don't have somebody that loves you. This is what we've been fighting for; the potential for you and me to grow old together. I never saw me and Lori getting old, certainly not after the world went to hell, but long before that. I want to love you until we're old. I want to love you forever and then for years and years after forever."_

 _He drops his forehead and rests it on her leg, all the while keeping a tight grasp on her hand. He closes his eyes, letting out a shaky breath before he swallows harshly, trying to keep his nerves calm. He feels a soft tug on his fingers and he jerks up, staring down at their digits as his mouth drops open. He blinks, praying that he didn't imagine it. He loosens his hand from hers, letting her fingers splay open on the bed. He blinks again. And her fingers, ever so slowly, curl around his._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Things you said in the dark.**_

 _Night has fallen over Hilltop once more. She's been asleep for most of the day but who could blame her. Harlan has been poking and prodding at her all day, trying to make sure that he wasn't missing anything. Unconscious for three weeks. Suddenly awake a few nights ago. Her memory is slowly coming back to her; remembering fragments of the day that sent her here. But, she can recall each and every one of her family members. And she's alive. That's all that really matters._

 _Rick sinks down in his chair, as low as he can possibly get, so he can sprawl the sleeping Judith out across his chest. His free hand is laced with Michonne's as she breaths deeply and rhythmically. He rubs Judy's back with his other hand and glances over toward his sleeping son, curled up in the chair on the opposite side of her bed. His hat is low over his eye, his hair covering most of his face. Carl hasn't missed a night with her. Not one night. Daryl keeps a spot on the floor, just inside the door, playing a solo game of solitaire with an old, worn deck of cards._

 _The only light illuminating the room is the from the moon now. It casts shadows over Carl's body and her face; branches from the trees helping the shapes form. It looks like a clear night. The dark sky full of some bright and some dim stars. Rick turns his head slightly toward Daryl, thinking maybe the man had finally fallen asleep. But, as usual, Daryl is wide awake, now digging his knife into the floor like a bored little boy. Rick chuckles a little, rolling his head back forward, casting his eyes back on his son, "Do you ever sleep?"_

 _Daryl cuts his deep-set eyes toward him, shrugging defiantly, "Do you?"_

" _After all this time, I don't think I'm really used to it, you know? I always feel like I gotta keep one eye open, like we're back out there on the road."_

" _Yeah," Daryl mumbles, dragging his leg up to rest his arm on it, "It's gotten a little better though. Back at the house."_

" _With her. Yeah." Rick agrees, staring at a spot on the wall opposite him._

 _She shifts a little and both men perk up, Daryl standing as Rick leans up as much as he can in his chair. She rolls her head slowly, back and forth, moaning a bit as her eyes open gradually. She blinks furiously as Daryl approaches, grabbing the small glass of water from the table by her bed. Rick sits up fully, holding his daughter to his chest with one hand and stoking her fingers with the other, trying to coax her gently out of her slumber, "Chonne?"_

 _She swallows, her throat scratchy as all hell as her eyes try to focus on the ceiling tiles above her. She tries to sit up, pain ripping through her body. She winces and grunts, her face contorting in anguish, "Take is easy babe." Rick warns._

 _She glances toward Daryl, wiggling her fingers a little to edge him closer to the bed. She clears her throat, swallowing hard again, "Help me, please." She barely gets out above a whisper, her breath leaving her body before she can clearly regain it again._

 _Daryl obliges, sliding his hands underneath her back and arm to help her sit up a little. She continues to wince, groaning as she moves; trying to control her breathing. Rick watches in agony. He's never seen her so weak. It's scary. It's unnerving, "Daryl, lay her back down."_

 _She shakes her head rapidly. She's going to do this damn it. Daryl glances toward Rick, then back at her, clearly in the middle of a determined woman and a less than enthusiastic man. But, Daryl catches her gaze and he knows that he had better help her. So, he pulls her up, propping up her thin pillows behind her back. He picks up the glass of water once more, holding it to her lips as she takes a few sips, having to catch her breath in between. She rests her head back on the wall behind her and reaches out toward Rick and the sleeping Judy._

 _He stands and moves toward her, watching as her eyes stay on the little girl in his arms. She places a hand to her chest, tapping softly, wanting her princess. Rick places Judith gently on top of her and rests his large hand on Judith's much smaller back. Michonne envelopes the small human, placing both hands on her back, on top of Ricks', as she closes her eyes. A smile spreads on her face. The first one that either man has seen in ages. She takes a deep breath before shifting her eyes toward the sleeping Carl, "Remember. being curled up. in chairs. just like these. waiting for. him. to wake up?" She asks, her words coming slow and choppy as she literally stops to breathe after every couple of words._

 _Daryl and Rick nod, "I do." Rick says lowly, dropping his head, "He's returned the favor. He's been here every single night."_

 _She hums a little, smiling again, "Thank you."_

" _For what?" Daryl whispers._

" _Being the reason." She breathes, swallowing hard again, "Being. the reason. for me. to fight. Thank you."_

 _Rick smiles a toothless smile, dropping his head as his eyes water. Daryl grabs her hand but turns his head to stare out the window, "No baby, thank you." Rick adds quietly, smiling again as he runs his fingers over her forehead, "You're our reason."_


End file.
